Top five local business stories of 2012

By DUSTY RICKETTS / Daily News

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 04:38 PM.

A lot happened in 2012. The economic development organizations in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties will start the new year with interim leadership, an airline’s local business figuratively crashed and the area lost one of the pioneers of the Twin Cities.

Below is a look at the top five business stories of the year along the Emerald Coast.

Economic development shakeups
The area’s three economic development groups underwent some degree of shakeup in 2012, none more so than Santa Rosa County.

For 20 years, the county contracted with an organization known as TEAM Santa Rosa to oversee and manage its economic development. In recent years, county officials had become frustrated with the organization, and in June rebranded it the Santa Rosa Economic Alliance and terminated its contract in July. Since then, the county has formed a new department focused on economic development. A search for a county economic development director is under way.

Economic development organizations in Okaloosa and Walton counties also are looking for new leadership. Longtime Okaloosa County Economic Development Council President Larry Sassano resigned at the end of November to become the interim president of Florida’s Great Northwest, the 16-county regional economic development board.

Scarlett Phaneuf resigned as the executive director of the Walton County Economic Development Alliance on Dec. 28 to take a position with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance.

Vision Airlines pulls out
Vision Airlines arrived at Northwest Florida Regional Airport in December 2010, offering direct flights to more than 20 destinations across the country.

While there was much optimism about the airline initially, problems started to surface last year. Vision canceled some of its destinations in just a matter of months. By the start of 2012, it offered flights only to Atlanta and Louisville, Ky. Those flights were discontinued in February.

The County Commission voted earlier this month to sue Vision Airlines to recoup more than $146,000 in unpaid fees owed to the airport.

Walt Ruckel passes away
Walt Ruckel, one of the driving forces behind the development of Niceville and Valparaiso, passed away April 21 at the age of 85.

Ruckel founded Ruckel Properties in 1955, which developed many homes and businesses in the Twin Cities and Fort Walton Beach areas. Among his developments are Rocky Bayou, Indian Shores, Ruckel Airport, Swift Creek, Heritage Gardens Cemetery and Heritage Gardens Funeral Home.

Community was very important to Ruckel, who was one of the founding members of the Niceville-Valparaiso Rotary Club. Ruckel and his late sister, Rae Ruckel, were named the first two lifetime directors of the Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce in 2005.

Northwest Florida job market improves
Okaloosa and Walton counties each started the year with 6.9 percent unemployment rates, tied for the second lowest in Florida. Santa Rosa County was tied with Jefferson and Nassau counties for the 22nd lowest jobless rate at 8.9 percent.

All three counties posted strong job growth throughout 2012. In November — the last month unemployment figures were available — Walton County posted a jobless rate of 5.5 percent, the second lowest figure in the state behind Monroe County. Okaloosa’s unemployment rate had dropped to 5.9 percent, the third lowest in the state. Santa Rosa had the largest drop, down to 7.1 percent and tied for the 18th lowest in the state.

Florida also continued to close the gap between its unemployment rate and the national average in 2012. Florida started the year at 9.6 percent compared to the national rate of 8.3 percent. By November, Florida’s jobless rate had dropped to 8.1 percent while United States had improved to 7.7 percent.

Golf courses struggle
Golf courses across the country are struggling, and two local courses had to find ways to stay alive.

Meadowbrook Golf, which owned several courses in the area, signed a contract to sell Shalimar Pointe Golf and Country Club to a local developer who planned to close the course and build homes on the land. Homeowners at Shalimar Pointe and in surrounding neighborhoods protested, and the developer eventually backed out.

Residents then formed Preserve Shalimar Pointe LLC and bought the course last month. The new owners have kept it open to all golfers through memberships, daily greens fees and tournaments.

Bluewater Bay Resort LLC also has proposed making changes to one of its four courses to help cut its annual maintenance costs. Bluewater Bay has settled on a plan to shorten four holes on the Magnolia course and use the extra land for three developments.

Under the plan, holes 4, 6, 7 and 9 will be shortened to make room for new single- and multi-family projects.

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A lot happened in 2012. The economic development organizations in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties will start the new year with interim leadership, an airline’s local business figuratively crashed and the area lost one of the pioneers of the Twin Cities.

Below is a look at the top five business stories of the year along the Emerald Coast.

Economic development shakeups
The area’s three economic development groups underwent some degree of shakeup in 2012, none more so than Santa Rosa County.

For 20 years, the county contracted with an organization known as TEAM Santa Rosa to oversee and manage its economic development. In recent years, county officials had become frustrated with the organization, and in June rebranded it the Santa Rosa Economic Alliance and terminated its contract in July. Since then, the county has formed a new department focused on economic development. A search for a county economic development director is under way.

Economic development organizations in Okaloosa and Walton counties also are looking for new leadership. Longtime Okaloosa County Economic Development Council President Larry Sassano resigned at the end of November to become the interim president of Florida’s Great Northwest, the 16-county regional economic development board.

Scarlett Phaneuf resigned as the executive director of the Walton County Economic Development Alliance on Dec. 28 to take a position with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance.

Vision Airlines pulls out
Vision Airlines arrived at Northwest Florida Regional Airport in December 2010, offering direct flights to more than 20 destinations across the country.

While there was much optimism about the airline initially, problems started to surface last year. Vision canceled some of its destinations in just a matter of months. By the start of 2012, it offered flights only to Atlanta and Louisville, Ky. Those flights were discontinued in February.

The County Commission voted earlier this month to sue Vision Airlines to recoup more than $146,000 in unpaid fees owed to the airport.

Walt Ruckel passes away
Walt Ruckel, one of the driving forces behind the development of Niceville and Valparaiso, passed away April 21 at the age of 85.

Ruckel founded Ruckel Properties in 1955, which developed many homes and businesses in the Twin Cities and Fort Walton Beach areas. Among his developments are Rocky Bayou, Indian Shores, Ruckel Airport, Swift Creek, Heritage Gardens Cemetery and Heritage Gardens Funeral Home.

Community was very important to Ruckel, who was one of the founding members of the Niceville-Valparaiso Rotary Club. Ruckel and his late sister, Rae Ruckel, were named the first two lifetime directors of the Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce in 2005.

Northwest Florida job market improves
Okaloosa and Walton counties each started the year with 6.9 percent unemployment rates, tied for the second lowest in Florida. Santa Rosa County was tied with Jefferson and Nassau counties for the 22nd lowest jobless rate at 8.9 percent.

All three counties posted strong job growth throughout 2012. In November — the last month unemployment figures were available — Walton County posted a jobless rate of 5.5 percent, the second lowest figure in the state behind Monroe County. Okaloosa’s unemployment rate had dropped to 5.9 percent, the third lowest in the state. Santa Rosa had the largest drop, down to 7.1 percent and tied for the 18th lowest in the state.

Florida also continued to close the gap between its unemployment rate and the national average in 2012. Florida started the year at 9.6 percent compared to the national rate of 8.3 percent. By November, Florida’s jobless rate had dropped to 8.1 percent while United States had improved to 7.7 percent.

Golf courses struggle
Golf courses across the country are struggling, and two local courses had to find ways to stay alive.

Meadowbrook Golf, which owned several courses in the area, signed a contract to sell Shalimar Pointe Golf and Country Club to a local developer who planned to close the course and build homes on the land. Homeowners at Shalimar Pointe and in surrounding neighborhoods protested, and the developer eventually backed out.

Residents then formed Preserve Shalimar Pointe LLC and bought the course last month. The new owners have kept it open to all golfers through memberships, daily greens fees and tournaments.

Bluewater Bay Resort LLC also has proposed making changes to one of its four courses to help cut its annual maintenance costs. Bluewater Bay has settled on a plan to shorten four holes on the Magnolia course and use the extra land for three developments.

Under the plan, holes 4, 6, 7 and 9 will be shortened to make room for new single- and multi-family projects.